


the past we leave behind

by xylomylo



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, slight descriptions of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-04 20:44:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16353980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylomylo/pseuds/xylomylo
Summary: "no one is going to jail," she starts, "if we do exactly as i say. do you understand?" then take turns to look them directly in the eye. and softens.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> in honour of TW3!! happy anniversary hehehe im always thankful ;-;;; also the htgawm au i thought i would never complete. 
> 
> P.S this is only rated T because T is for... TWICE

when the offer from harvard came in for her to be a professor, jihyo had accepted it without hesitation - despite nayeon's many objections. because she'd finally reached a stable point in her career, and maybe it was a sign to start giving back as an alumnus. plus, what better way to do so than teaching? overseeing the next generation. also, there would be interns. free labour. no one says no to free labour, period. because associates are expensive as heck, and there are a thousand ways she can better spend her hard earned money - like on alcohol.

 

("are you sure?" nayeon sips her coffee. makes a face as it burns, before clearing her throat. "it's like adopting children, you know. all of a sudden you're going to be responsible for other human beings." then pauses. "other than me." and winks. or tries to, because her face contorts into something jihyo doesn't even want to know. but it's endearing, and her heart does that weird flop like it always does when nayeon does anything. 

 

"it'll be fun," jihyo beams. "besides, you're going to have more minions to boss around. why are you worrying?" she kisses nayeon soundly on the cheek, and the conversation is forgotten.)  

 

well. maybe she should have listened to nayeon.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

friday nights are chill nights. not by choice, but by nayeon's precise scheduling. she's always hounding jihyo about having a work life balance despite working around the clock herself, and jihyo knows that they both know that there's no such thing, as lawyers. but the effort is there, and maybe it's the only thing keeping her sanity intact.

 

court doesn't open during weekends, so she doesn't have much to prepare for. yet. a saving grace of sorts. there's a lull, and she's all ready to lounge in her pajamas with some good whiskey. that is, until nayeon bursts through the doors of her study with tzuyu and chaeyoung in tow.

 

"what - " her jaw drops. 

 

being a criminal lawyer means she'd probably seen it all - crime scenes, dead bodies, murder weapons, the most vicious people hiding in the meekest sheep skins. together with her wit, logic, and argumentative skills that never fail to leave the opposing counsel stumped - she is seldom speechless. but circumstances will always be circumstances. and in this case, it's in the form of chou tzuyu standing in front of her, with her entire front covered in blood.

 

"what - " she tries again, because the tongue-tied loser in her during first year moot has to die. blinks, while her brain restarts, and shelves the panic threatening to clamp down on her throat. it's certainly not tzuyu's blood because the other girl is still standing upright, and jihyo would most definitely  _kill_ anyone who touches a piece of hair on tzuyu's head. 

 

her attention shifts to chaeyoung. it's only now that jihyo notices how shaken the orange haired girl is. like she'd seen a ghost, or something. her hair is messed up, mascara smudged, and pale, in comparison to tzuyu. it's telling from their personalities, given the time she's gotten to know both sophomores, and it's also a warning to jihyo that whatever this is will most probably cause a shitstorm. of sorts. if it hasn't already.

 

"what happened?" she stands up. meets tzuyu's unwavering gaze, and waits. expects nothing but the truth. rule number one, as she'd mentioned on the first day: no secrets. it's the one thing she values when working with people, because they're on the same team, at the end of the day. 

 

the following silence is suffocating - until tzuyu's jaw twitches, and the truth is out.

 

"i killed someone." 

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

mina hates her job. hates how it's pretty much taken over her entire life, and reduced her to nothing more than a government slave. it's what happens when you're young and impressionable and impulsively sign away your future to an organisation that has way too many internal conflicts. but the job pays really well, because how else would she afford a house this size in an upper class neighbourhood before the age of twenty-five? 

 

the thought of going home to her girlfriends makes her floor the gas, because they give her life meaning, other than twelve hours of brainless work. tracking down criminals, hacking into state-of-the-art security systems using the fbi's mediocre equipment - it gets mundane. sana always says that she should quit because she's way too good at her job, while momo thinks that's a good thing because she doesn't get work stress. whatever it is, it's a thought that she files away as their driveway comes into view. 

 

her footsteps are light, until she nearly slips. catches herself just before she lands face down on the asphalt. looks up, and silently thanks the gods that there was no one at their window. myoui mina, a former ballerina, slipping on the sidewalk? how embarrassing -  momo and sana would be teasing her into the next week, and that's something mina thinks she can definitely do without. she dusts her hands off, and under the streetlamp, notices something damp on her hands. it's sticky, and... red? 

 

then the metallic scent hits her like a slap of cold water, and all the alarms in her head go off. mina's on high alert, because what the hell, she'd almost slipped in a small puddle of blood. in her neighbourhood. ten steps from her doorstep. but her curiosity always gets the better of her (contrary to popular belief, she's not a cat) and she ends up following the trail of blood. it gets smaller. just a few droplets towards the end, all the way to the garage of the house right across hers. 

 

working twelve hours a day means that mina has absolutely no time for socialising. it's just momo, sana, and a few other friends from college, and work. which also means that she has absolutely no idea who that house belongs to. the adrenaline kicks her mind into overdrive - makes her think about every possible scenario that might unfold the moment she knocks on the door. because mina lives to be prepared for the shit life throws at her.

 

but she isn't doctor strange, and this isn't a movie. because just when she moves to knock on the door, it opens -

 

"myoui mina?" 

 

it takes mina about three seconds to process the fact that the other girl staring at her is vaguely familiar. another two to remember that it's park jihyo, head prefect from high school. and then her eyes dart to the bloodstained trunk of a jeep in the garage. but before she realises the severity of the situation she'd walked in on, she feels herself being yanked in by the arm - and the door shuts.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

"you brought her in?? are you crazy?" chaeyoung screams. "what the hell were you thinking? we don't need more people in this - "

 

"she  _saw_ , chaeng." tzuyu spits. "you might want to think about who i'm doing this for - "

 

" - literally no one asked you to kill him! we were perfectly fine - "

 

"he was going to hurt you!"

 

nayeon clears her throat. it goes unnoticed, because the screaming match intensifies, and jihyo sighs. rubs her temples. hands mina a cup of tea wordlessly, as the clueless girl sits at the edge of the sofa. the look on her face is priceless, and jihyo kind of feels bad, dragging mina into this mess. but tzuyu had reflexes faster than anyone else and here they were. with yet another accomplice, of sorts.

 

life always throws her curveballs. like the kind of coincidences you only see on tv shows. like meeting an old high school classmate after many years, in the worst possible situation. it turns out mina was a neighbour they never knew existed, because she's a workaholic, of sorts. social recluse, more like. jihyo and nayeon had known of the two japanese girls living next door, but who knew? three is always a company.

 

it's been ten minutes, and they'd briefed mina. very briefly, of course. no one wants to go into detail of a manslaughter, unless necessary. it's still a murder after all, and most civilians aren't built to process something as heavy as death. jihyo understands - because they don't deal with it on a daily basis. or as a part of their career, like she does.

 

long story short: some guy hit on chaeyoung at the bar. she'd rejected him, but he didn't take no for an answer. it got uncomfortable, and she had wanted to leave - he followed her out while tzuyu settled the bill, and came back only to see him trying to force himself on her girlfriend. naturally, she had given in to her anger - and hit the back of his head. with a brick. with a little too much force. 

 

jihyo feels strangely proud of them. her babies. they hadn't panicked (much, at least), and remembered to clean up the crime scene as best as they could. like, not leaving a dead body for the cops to find in bright daylight. or, the murder weapon. trashed the victim's phone, to prevent any form of tracking. there were no known witnesses at the moment, and all they had to do was to dispose of the body. make sure it's never found. wash away all traces of blood in her garage, and the trunk of tzuyu's jeep - and all would be fine. a missing person report, at most. then create an alibi for all of them, and wait it out. why couldn't they understand? 

 

she catches bits and pieces of the argument, and decides that it's more than enough.  

 

" - we're going to jail - "

 

" - i'll say that i did it, you're _not_ going to jail - " 

 

"shut up!" she yells. her voice cuts through the screaming effortlessly. tzuyu and chaeyoung turn. chaeyoung is still frazzled, but tzuyu is her usual stoic self and jihyo wishes she had that kind of neutrality in herself. it's definitely genetics. 

 

"no one is going to jail," she starts, "if we do exactly as i say. do you understand?" then take turns to look them directly in the eye. and softens. "i know you're scared. and you think you're guilty. but going to jail isn't funny, okay?" pulls them into a hug. because they're her favourite students, and what kind of professor lets her students end up in jail?

 

it's quiet. it's like they're finally processing it responsibly. baby steps.

 

"no one is going to jail," she repeats. with more conviction than before. releases them. pats their shoulders. sees the resolution reflected in tzuyu's eyes, and watches as chaeyoung hardens. puts on her game face. nayeon nods fiercely, because they will always have each other's backs, and mina is still... well, mostly clueless. and also the largest liability at the moment. but that can be fixed. nothing is impossible. the gears in her head start turning.

 

"now come on," jihyo smiles, pulling out her phone. "we have an alibi to create." 

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

for some reason or another, dahyun doesn't sleep. not because she didn't want to, but because she just couldn't - it's one of those nights. her thoughts won't stop running around in circles, and maybe it's the stress of law school and the upcoming midterms. or just life in general. so she does what every other millennial would - goes on social media. 

 

instagram has become dull. a facade of sorts, and to be honest she's just on it for some eye-candy. because law school is so exclusive the cohort practically knows all of each other, and it's just dahyun's luck that they're all hot. like  _hot_  hot, and maybe she's the only one who still looks like she's five. it's also not her fault that most of them are elite rich, and are really, really high profile. like chou tzuyu.

 

dahyun snorts. speak of the devil, and (s)he doth appear, indeed. the first post on her feed is from tzuyu. it's a selfie of her and chaeyoung at professor park jihyo's house. a place that every law student on campus is familiar with, because with midterms coming up it's become something of a shelter. in the day, at least - professor park doesn't entertain students after six. there's a couple of other people in the background, someone she recognises as nayeon - the other lawyer heading their firm, and this other scrawny girl who looks like she could use some sunlight.

 

hm. strange. she could've sworn chaeyoung had said that they were going to some bar. the usual friday night shenanigans, or something. her fingers itch, and she pulls up chaeyoung's chat because she has nothing better to do.

 

 

**dahyun [11.15pm] :**   _weren't u going to the bar?_

 

 

she resumes her mindless scrolling. it's the same old people posting scenic photos from their previous holidays, with horribly 'deep' captions she can't help but cringe at. but her thoughts eventually re-route back to chaeyoung, and dahyun frowns. maybe she's overthinking things. maybe chaeyoung was just stressed about midterms. or maybe professor park had called them to work a case, given that they both work there as interns. 

 

then her phone beeps, and:

 

 

**chaeyoung [11.18pm] :**    _lmaoo nope_

 

**chaeyoung [11.18pm] :**    _gotta work on some case_

 

**chaeyoung [11.19pm] :**    _ttyl_

 

 

huh. chaeyoung goes offline instantly, and dahyun is left with a knot in her stomach.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

"i'm not going to say anything, you know," mina rolls her eyes. "i'm in this as much as all of you even though i did nothing, and i have two girlfriends waiting for me at home." she grumbles, because it's been two hours, and nayeon _still_ won't leave her side. this is her fifth cup of tea, and her headache is still pounding at the back of her head, because it's getting late and she's exhausted and has three missed calls from sana. 

 

nayeon doesn't say anything. continues flipping through the file in her own lap, and mina can only sigh. it's clear that nayeon doesn't trust her the slightest, and she hates it. but understands. doesn't blame the other girl - it's what she would have done, too, if she were nayeon. because trust takes time to build, and it simply wasn't possible to trust a stranger you just met with something as heavy as covering up a murder.

 

it's already past midnight. jihyo and the two other girls (interns, nayeon had said) are still in her study. probably discussing something important - like how to dispose of the body. mina wants to tell them that time is of the essence, because with every minute that passes, the chances of them getting away with this murder decreases. the longer the dead body's left unattended, the more traces it'll leave in the environment - which will ultimately lead the cops right to their doorstep. she'd worked with the fbi's forensic team more than enough times to know, and it's what she's come to understand about murders in general. science never lies, so it's important to get rid of it completely. like an incinerator, maybe. but those are hard to get to, because of the restricted access, and burying a dead body isn't the slightest bit appealing -

 

"give me something so i can let you go, mina." nayeon slaps her case file shut. mina is surprised. maybe the harvard graduates are smarter than they let on. situational awareness, of sorts. nayeon is giving her a chance, and of course she's taking it. she thinks. 

 

oh. his identity. she'll give them dirt on the guy. that's it. but just when she's about to open her mouth, she sees nayeon on her phone, with one particular contact opened - mr kaplan. then feels goosebumps erupt all over her arms, because what the actual _fuck_. mina's pretty sure there's only one person who goes by that name, and they're running a whole personal concierge service the fbi's been trying to crack down on. if not for nayeon's phone's brightness being at a hundred percent, mina would have never known - she bites her lip. because mr kaplan's clients are on a whole other level of secrecy, with his connections to the mafia, so nayeon's definitely not an ordinary lawyer. 

 

"what's his name?" she folds her arms. tries her best to sound neutral. "i'll give you something."

 

nayeon looks up. "choi siwon. tzuyu found his id in his wallet." taps something on her phone, and turns it to face mina. "son of a senator. hotshot investment banker. there's nothing else on here, if that's what you're talking about." 

 

"i have something else." mina rolls her eyes. does nayeon really think she's that stupid? "some uh, tech stuff at home, so you're going to have to come with me." she stands up. gestures to nayeon to follow her. doesn't hesitate to leave the house without looking back because she knows nayeon _will_  follow, given her unwillingness to let mina out of her sight. maybe it's time for some good old bonding, with her neighbour. and to show momo and sana that myoui mina _is_ actually capable of socialising.

 

eat that.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

another case. another dead body.

 

or in sana's case, a missing dead body. or, just her boss making a big fuss out of nothing, like he always does. there was a call at six am, and she had rushed down to the scene with her team, only to find out that there was no body. what the hell. 

 

they'd done a clean sweep. found many, many traces of hair, sweat, puke - just like the outside of any other bar in town. the only thing that was slightly suspicious was the trace amount of blood found on the curb of the pavement, and of course that wasn't sufficient evidence for a dead body. she had given up on finding anything else because honest to god, it was probably just a small bar fight - which also corresponds to the bartender's statement that there were people arguing outside. but it was just their luck that he didn't see anything, and that the other patrons were too drunk to remember anything. 

 

she narrows her eyes at her boss. who supposedly, has a phd in forensics. so why in the world was he so sure this was a murder scene? either he's growing old, or losing his marbles. urgh. they'd stayed back for another two hours just because he wouldn't let them leave, and sana was this close to socking the man in the jaw. because unlike him, she's pretty sure the rest of the team had better things to do. herself included. like run samples for _other_ cases. 

 

so when she finally gets back to the lab, it's a saving grace of sorts. that is, until she realises everyone is talking about this choi siwon person. the name sounds familiar, in the boring way. so while waiting for the blood sample from the case this morning to run, she googles the name.

 

ew. typical greasy looking middle aged man. son of a senator. hotshot investment banker. and right underneath the wikipedia link is a... missing person's report? her eyebrows shoot up. no wonder. but the name still rings in her ears, because she swears she's heard it before.

 

then her phone vibrates, and there's a message from mina. something about another late night at her office, and sana pouts. they haven't had time for each other in awhile, and she misses her girlfriends. but there's life and responsibilities and jobs to do so she can't really say anything. because she knows that they know that they'll always be there, and so what is one more day at the office? 

 

she thinks about last night. about mina bringing nayeon into her study. it was all weird, because mina never talks to their neighbours. or rather, doesn't even know any of them because of all the time she spends cooped up in her office. sana also is pretty sure that nayeon and jihyo only know about her and momo, because mina is rarely home. so how in the world did they even meet? mina had said that it was for work. and mina is a terrible liar, because her eyes were all shifty and weird and she didn't look sana in the eye. so either they're having an affair, or planning a world domination of sorts. but mina would never cheat, and that would mean that they were up to something -

 

her computer beeps, and the name displayed on the screen makes her drop her phone in shock.

 

_CHOI SI WON_

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

tzuyu wakes up feeling like death. 

 

it's probably god trying to tell her something. her whole body aches, because who knew a grown man would be so heavy. a dead one at that. chaeyoung is nowhere to be found, and tzuyu understands. after a rather traumatising night, alone time is important - to rest. and sort of detach themselves from the whole thing. 

 

she sighs. remembers how they'd painstakingly buried the body in professor park's backyard. jihyo, whom she's now on a first name basis with. if anyone had told her that she'd be under the wing of one of the most successful criminal lawyers, she would have laughed in their face. rolled her eyes for good measure. but it is what it is, and tzuyu will not complain. as a second year law student, she'd already known that the industry is dirty as hell. heck, even the professors tell you that - and jihyo is no exception. because as much as the law upholds justice, as a lawyer, there is only the responsibility to your client - and none other. in court, there is only your version of the truth, and the opposing counsel's. the truth will always remain impartial, but as lawyers they have to present the more convincing truth. there are no morals, no feelings involved. only facts. to put it simply, it's doing everything in your power to win for your client, and build a name for yourself. this she can deal with. 

 

so when jihyo suggested burying the body right there and then, and proceeded to do it without dropping a single tear, tzuyu thinks she finally knows what it means. not questioning, but doing what needs to be done. there is also a newfound level of respect and gratitude for her professor - because she wouldn't have known what to do without jihyo around, and would have probably ended up in jail. have her future destroyed. disappointed a lot of people.

 

she closes her eyes. there are flashbacks of last night, burning behind her eyelids. things she might never forget. she remembers the blood. the sickening crack of his skull. swallows the bile at the back of her throat, because she will not be weak. she wants to be like jihyo. has to be like jihyo. strong-willed and reliable. she will not break down. wills herself to calm down, and breathes in slowly. counts to ten. breathes.

 

then her phone beeps. there's a new message from an unknown number, together with another message from jihyo. she opens the one from jihyo first, because from today onwards she will do everything in her power to help her professor. _anything_. tzuyu's not even sure she can ever repay such a favor. she's known about jihyo's soft spot for her, but it's only through this she realises the extent of it - and hates how it makes her feel guilty. 

 

**professor park (jihyo) [07.12am] :**    _missing person report. don't worry_

 

she watches in newfound admiration as the message self-destructs after five seconds. it's jihyo's extra precaution, to leave no traces. thinks about the study she'd read on law students being the best criminals out there, and can't help but agree. because it's the people who know the law best who manipulate the loopholes present, and are also extra careful about leaving behind incriminating evidence - like now. tzuyu is lowkey impressed. 

 

the second text is a video. she thinks about deleting it, because her phone has no space for such nonsense, and it's from an unknown number. but opens it anyway - and is instantly ready to fight. what the fuck.

 

it's a video of chaeyoung and the guy from the bar. arguing. her orange hair is unmistakable despite the distance. their voices can't be heard, but it's close enough such that their faces can be seen clearly. tzuyu clenches her fist. her anger from last night returns with a vengeance. it hits her so hard she ends up throwing her phone at the wall. so someone was there that night, and had the audacity to video them -

 

her phone beeps again, now at her feet, and through the crack on her screen she sees another text from the same unknown number:

 

_10pm at the park behind the dorms, or this video's going online._

 

tzuyu exhales shakily. she watches the video again. if this gets out, chaeyoung's definitely going to be the prime suspect of the murder, because this video is as incriminating as it gets. prosecution is going to argue that she's the last person to have been in contact with that choi siwon guy, and even if she doesn't get charged, the cops will definitely call her in for questioning. and that can never happen, because chaeyoung will crack. under that kind of pressure. chaeyoung is soft and chaeyoung is good and tzuyu hates how ugly things have turned out to be. it was supposed to be a fun night, before cramming for midterms, and she had single-handedly ruined everything. how nice. 

 

the tears are a surprise. it's been a long time, because crying is a weakness she's been taught to never show. and is also absolutely useless - there are a thousand other emotions along the spectrum that are of actual value. like being happy. but her heart clenches in worry and her breaths get shorter and she lets herself fall back onto the bed. the cold, empty bed that is now a reminder of everything that she used to have. up to a few hours ago. the whiplash from the change in her life makes her head light and her shoulders heavy, and tzuyu sobs. 

 

because the blood on her hands is something she will never be able to wash off.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

night runs are the best. because the park is empty, and chaeyoung likes how she doesn't have to worry about the sun burning her alive. plus, her skin's already tan enough, and not everyone is like dahyun - the freak whose skin is white as heck and never gets tan. life is unfair.

 

she makes a left. runs past the water fountain that marks her halfway point. the park is as scenic as it can get, and she breathes in the peace. feels her feet lightening with each step. running is a comfort sport of sorts. chaeyoung thinks it's the feeling of the wind in her face. she hears her pulse in her ears, and the increased blood circulation makes her feel alive. powerful. like she's capable of doing anything. everything.

 

like covering up a murder. that happened, because of her.

 

she shudders. wills away the negative thoughts. today is a new day, and things like that should be left behind. like what jihyo said. to move on, because life is so much more than mistakes made in the past. the future is full of infinite possibilities. clean slates. new beginnings to look forward to. so she continues running. holds her head high. uses her remaining energy for the last spurt - all the way back to the pond. how fancy. a new level of extra - to have a whole park built right behind the dorms, because the school has way too much money, of course. but it's not like chaeyoung is complaining. anything to boost student welfare. 

 

then she spots a hooded figure standing behind one of the larger trees at the side, and halts. fights her flight instinct, because like any typical law student out there - curiosity triumphs all. it's ninety percent of their thirst for knowledge, so she stays. reminds herself that the campus is technically, a public place. her hand goes to the switchblade in her pocket, because it always pays to be careful, and waits. watches as the hooded figure paces around, as though waiting for someone. she moves closer -

 

it's a law school hoodie. the gold letterings are extremely eye-catching in the night. chaeyoung breathes a sigh of relief. makes to return to her dorm, because it's probably just a classmate or something. but then another figure appears. this one's taller, and - wearing a suit? 

 

oh. she squints. the lone streetlamp is not helping. the guy in the suit kind of looks like that one psychology professor. the one everyone hates, because he's shady as hell. what was his name again? ah yes. yang hyun suk, or something. professor yang. chaeyoung had heard the rumours of him sexually harassing students - but the rumours were never confirmed, because the school loves him too much to cover up his shitty crimes. 

 

so when the figure in the law school hoodie yells  _what do you fucking want from me?_ chaeyoung forgets to breathe. because one, that voice is no doubt tzuyu's, and two, if he were to lay a hand on tzuyu - 

 

professor yang laughs. chaeyoung inches forward, from behind the bushes, careful not to make much noise -

 

"what do i want?" he snorts. "your participation, of course. unless you want your girlfriend to end up in jail?" waves his phone in tzuyu's face, and chaeyoung frowns. there's something on his phone, but it's too small and she can't see, but tzuyu backs down at this and the realisation that tzuyu's doing this because of _her_ makes her sick to the stomach - 

 

"okay. i'll do it." tzuyu spits. "how do i know that's the only copy of the video you have?" 

 

"you don't," professor yang steps forward. he rakes his eyes over tzuyu's body, smiling in victory, and something in chaeyoung snaps -

 

her hand clenches over her switchblade. flips it out with practiced ease, and storms over without a word. she locks down on her target. he's tall, but she's definitely fast - an advantage she's going to capitalise on. everything else fades away, and there is only the need to shut him up. protect tzuyu. just like how she'd protected her that night. no one will hurt tzuyu, under her watch. no one.

 

she breaks into a sprint. drives the blade into his back, and watches in awe at how quickly the blood starts flowing out. feels him tense up. he screams, and spins around - but chaeyoung is faster. yanks out the blade and stabs his abdomen again. and again. pours all her anger and frustration into giving this man what he deserves, because the judicial system has flaws that no one wants to point out. it doesn't protect those who need it the most, and more often than not plays out like a game of chess that has already been fixed from the very beginning.

 

then there's a hand on her wrist, and chaeyoung finally snaps out of it. professor yang slumps to the ground, unconscious. her right hand is covered in blood. so is her switchblade, and tzuyu's hand on her wrist is shaking. her eyes are wide. there are still traces of fear, but it gives way to relief and chaeyoung feels herself being yanked into a bone crushing hug. she drops the switchblade.

 

they stay like that, for awhile. breathing in each other. for them to get their bearings, and for chaeyoung to realise that her heart isn't heavy at all. like what she thought it would be. because he deserved it. 

 

"call jihyo," she says. her voice doesn't waver. "we need her help."

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

nayeon chews on her bottom lip. drums her fingers on the steering wheel, and mina hangs on for dear life. they're going at seventy miles per hour, nearing campus, and nayeon doesn't care. she's doing everything she can to _not_ panic, because jihyo's dealing with another case on the other side of town and nayeon hates how she's become so dependent on the other girl. to the point that she's about to have another breakdown because of the responsibility that is now on her own two shoulders. 

 

"what happened?" mina tries again, for the third time. the car is still silent, other than the roar of the engine. nayeon is reminded of mina's presence, and hates how she'd practically dragged mina out after tzuyu's phone call. because this is something she knows she can't do by herself. then thinks about how mina has proven herself to be useful - she'd came up with information on choi siwon within five minutes. address, phone records, locations - but it's not like they're going to use them. it's just a courtesy, maybe. knowing more about the unfortunate victim - and also that he is too prominent a person to ignore, so they'd figured his disappearance would be reported soon. and they were right.

 

at this point, there's nothing more to lose. she makes a decision.

 

"chaeyoung killed someone." nayeon says out loud. it feels good, confiding in someone. sharing her worries. "we have another body to clean up. in the park, behind the dorms." they approach the campus. "i'm sorry for dragging you into this, again. will sana and momo be suspicious?" sighs, because she feels bad. they were at mina's, because mina is witty and funny and actually fun to hang out with. like jihyo. and maybe mina just wants to prove something to her girlfriends, and nayeon is more than willing to help. 

 

mina laughs. "i don't think so." turns to look out of the window. "although the way you dragged me out was kind of extreme." 

 

the silence thickens, and the drumming of fingers resume - mina cracks her brain. it's still relatively early, which means that there's a higher chance of people walking in on the body. it's also a long walk from the carpark to the middle of the park, which means it's going to be difficult to bring the body out. the other option would be to bury it somewhere in the park, but there's the risk of it being discovered, and - 

 

oh.

 

"call mr kaplan," she says. "there's no time. do it."

 

nayeon almost slams the brakes of the car, because what the heck. how did mina _know_? reminds herself to keep calm. then pushes away the thought, because of course. the girl's a hacker - she's like an omnipresence, of sorts. on the internet. narrows her eyes because what if mina's tracking her cell phone -

 

"i saw you looking at your contacts yesterday," mina deadpans. "i know mr. kaplan from one of my other cases, so i know they're reliable and probably your only chance of getting away scot-free. do you want them to go to jail or not?" 

 

nayeon gulps. looks to mina, and finds the reassurance in mina's eyes familiar. it settles her nerves, just like jihyo's presence would. she nods. they pull up to the carpark, and nayeon makes a phone call.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

being a part of a personal concierge service means that life is never boring. not that jeongyeon's complaining, because how boring can life get when your parents are part mafia? 

 

she'd first found out when she was twelve. had her own suspicions, because the one time she told her father about some kid bullying her - he didn't show up the next day, and the day after. the teacher had said that his family had moved, and the strangest thing was that her father had asked her about it a week later. about the boy who moved, instead of the boy who bullied her. so when her father formally introduced her to the family business, she had agreed - because it was a family tradition. and besides, having a regular office job was way too boring. the dual identity thing definitely comes in handy. miss yoo jeongyeon, editor for the new york times, living alone in the suburbs. 

 

so imagine her shock when she picks up the phone one day, and finds out that her latest client is her ex best friend. who is asking for help to dispose of a dead body, or two. 

 

they grew up together, nayeon and her. the typical best friends cliche. until college, when jeongyeon made the stupid mistake of telling nayeon about her family's side job. and the other girl had exploded. because she was a naive law student back then. couldn't stand her best friend being involved in something shady as heck, and couldn't handle the betrayal. they fought, and in a last ditch attempt at parting on good terms, jeongyeon had given her a number - and told her to call it only in the case of an emergency. a fool-proof safety net. and nayeon had screamed in her face that she would never. 

 

but life is like a box of chocolates, and this is how jeongyeon finds herself on the couch of nayeon's living room. with a clean up crew dispatched to the backyard, and one already finishing up at the park where they were at earlier. it was awkward because they hadn't seen each other in years, and jeongyeon understands. puts on her business face, but nayeon is currently sat beside her and pulling at her sleeves the way jeongyeon knows she's nervous, and _maybe_ they'll finally be friends again -

 

"i'm sorry," nayeon purses her lips. digs her nails into the armrest, and jeongyeon wants to laugh. age has done nayeon well, it seems. her bright pink hair is long gone. it's now a respectful shade of brown, which makes her look softer than she is, and maybe that's the whole point of it. 

 

jeongyeon shakes her head. smiles, because she's never blamed nayeon. figured that she'd eventually see the world for what it is. a hideous shade of grey. ugly and morbid, where the grey becomes white in the hands of power and money. 

 

"are they going to be okay?" she gestures to the room across the hall. chaeyoung and tzuyu had shut themselves in after the clean up crew had, well, 'cleaned' them. they hadn't shed a tear, which spoke volumes about them, and jeongyeon feels sorry. it's like their induction to the grey world. extremely unpleasant, but necessary to survive, and hopes that they'll come out of it stronger. 

 

nayeon nods. "they're strong. they'll be okay." it feels like she's saying it to herself instead, so jeongyeon ends up doing what she knows will help - pulling nayeon into a hug. nayeon doesn't struggle like she used to, but instead returns the hug, and jeongyeon feels the air escape her lungs. 

 

it's something she's definitely missed.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

mina watches the exchange from her seat at the kitchen island. it's an excellent vantage point to oversee the clean up, even though jeongyeon had said she didn't need to. besides, she needed to escape the awkwardness between nayeon and jeongyeon - there was no way she was going to be in the middle of a soap opera. 

 

she sips her tea. thinks about how tzuyu had never once let go of chaeyoung's hand, throughout the whole clean up. jeongyeon's team had worked effortlessly - all nayeon had said was to make sure the two bodies would never be traced back to them. mina has to give it to jeongyeon, really. she thinks exactly like a criminal. maybe it's in her blood after all. being able to fabricate a whole story that will keep the media off their trail, and conjure hard evidence to back it up? they are something else entirely. this is why the fbi will never be able to catch them. because they're _way_ smarter. and hotter, too, now that mina has seen her in the flesh. 

 

the tea is warm. soothing. makes her feel at home. it's nice. she'd originally planned to tip off her colleague. alert her team to another mr kaplan activity - but decides against it, when she sees nayeon folding herself into jeongyeon's embrace. they're like a family of sorts. fiercely loyal, even though they have no reason to be. their dedication to each other is heartwarming, especially in a messed up world like this one. mina thinks it reminds her of sana and momo. like how she would do anything for them. because that's what love is. and who was mina to take it away from them?

 

she looks at the clock. it's late. reminds herself that she has someplace else to be. like her actual home. that there are others who miss her, as much as she misses them. a warm bed, with two of her favourite girls to kiss her goodnight. tuck each other in, and fall asleep listening to nothing but their breathing. because life is fleeting. and as mina lets herself out, she makes a promise under the witness of the stars - to show sana and momo exactly how much she loves them. 

 

every single day.

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

jihyo unlocks the door. winces as the hinges creak loudly in the dead of the night. her case had ended earlier than expected, and she'd gotten on the earliest flight back. it wasn't as exciting, of course. being away from home - because all she had on her mind were tzuyu and chaeyoung. and how they were coping.

 

and of course - nayeon, whom she's missed dearly. not to be a lovesick sap, but jihyo hates being away from nayeon. it's like sailing without an anchor. floating around aimlessly, waiting for the waves to push her to somewhere. anywhere. lost, and directionless. 

 

she kicks off her heels. sprints up the stairs to their bedroom, only to find nayeon sprawled out on the bed, staring at the ceiling. there are empty beer cans littering the nightstand, together with a half-eaten bag of cheetos, and jihyo isn't really sure if something is wrong. 

 

"hey," she greets. climbs onto the bed and hugs nayeon. melts at the way nayeon's legs wrap around her waist, because she's missed this. but nayeon doesn't let go even after awhile, and jihyo frowns -

 

"something happened," nayeon croaks. "i didn't want to tell you, but it's over now." fists the back of jihyo's blouse, and starts telling her story. jihyo listens. strokes the other girl's hair slowly. coaxes out word after word and everything comes rushing out - the guilt, the remorse - but nayeon doesn't cry and jihyo isn't surprised. they'd learnt to separate sadness from guilt a long time ago, because it was the most functional coping mechanism to exist.

 

when nayeon finally lets go, jihyo kisses her. tells her she did well. tells her she loves her. tells her they'll be okay, because it keeps them going. they'll always be okay, because they have each other. it was a good call, on nayeon's part - jeongyeon was there to save their asses. with the other girl's credibility, jihyo doesn't worry. knows that this will be forgotten shortly enough, because the media has a short attention span, especially when something more incredulous comes along. but she thinks about tzuyu and chaeyoung, and how they've lost an innocence of sorts. a necessary evil, but heartbreaking nonetheless. nayeon says they're closer than ever now, and maybe that's one of the good things to come out of this whole shitstorm. unyielding loyalty. until the end of time.

 

she turns off the lights. finds nayeon's hand in the dark, and holds onto it like a lifeline. 

 

 

 

/

 

 

 

the precinct is a volcano about to erupt. momo makes sure to steer clear of everyone, because her officers have been in a perpetual bad mood, for the entire week. she doesn't know why.

 

she grabs her baton and gun. the office is a mess, with superintendents coming in every day or so for meetings, and most of the time they end up screaming at each other. the meeting rooms aren't soundproof, and when it happens she'd just plug in her earpods and hit play. being a patrol officer means she doesn't have clearance for the high level stuff they do, but momo thinks she likes it. the simplicity of the job. she gets to walk around town and pet dogs and talk to the homeless man who's always at the corner of the street. she also chases down the occasional thief, and fixes askew signboards - all for the neighbourhood. 

 

it's five minutes to her second shift. newspapers are boring. but momo is intrigued, because today's headlines on the new york times are about this choi siwon guy. a name she's heard many times in the last week. she flips to the second page. reads about this other guy who was found dead in his apartment. yang hyun suk, or something. a harvard psychology professor. she cringes at the photos of him - he really does look like a douche bag. the report says that there was a suicide note found along with his dead body. there is a photo of the suicide note, in which he confessed to have sexually harrassed some of his students, and apologised for his wrongdoings. disgusting.

 

the next page is another report about the choi siwon guy. who still hasn't been found, after two weeks. acquaintances of yang hyun suk have come forward saying that he and choi siwon had a rivalry of sorts back in their college days, but thought nothing of it - there are speculations of yang hyun suk's possible involvement in choi siwon's disappearance. oof. what a mess. but momo supposes that he'd gotten what he deserved, that yang hyun suk guy. preying on his students? absolutely unforgivable. she shudders -

 

"break time's over, hirai!" someone hollers. momo jolts up, and salutes - one of her officers. she can't remember his name. there are too many of them, and they all look the same in the uniform - she has a shitty memory. he grunts and leaves, and that's her cue to go.

 

so she adjusts her gun in her holster, and the badge on her chest, before setting off for yet another shift. 

 


	2. slowly, then all at once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> besides, jihyo also doubles as eye candy - not that tzuyu should know, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just some extra scenes that didnt go with the first part idek (just an excuse to post on halloween) happy halloween!!

law school is all kinds of interesting. chaeyoung likes how the school considers them the 'cream of the crop', because there's an air of superiority that comes with the title. it's a joke. mostly uncalled for, but then it's also harvard, and there will always be people taking things a little too seriously - it's also the main reason behind the inter-faculty feuds. like the most recent one where the biology and economics majors tried to one-up each other by sabotaging their respective club rooms. petty squabbling at its finest. 

 

being friends with dahyun also meant that chaeyoung gets firsthand news about things like this all the time. because dahyun somehow manages to keep afloat with all the campus drama, despite the crazy workload. and chaeyoung is always thankful for the distraction. it makes college a little less boring, and maybe she understands why dahyun spends so much effort keeping up with the latest gossips after all. 

 

" - dude, it was a fucking mess," dahyun whispers, and chaeyoung widens her eyes at the photo on the other girl's phone. the biology club room was filled with baubles, with a note wishing them an early merry christmas. chaeyoung isn't surprised. economics majors are known for their sass, and this is no exception - it's just morning entertainment to keep her awake in this boring lecture - 

 

"miss kim," a familiar voice rings out in the quiet lecture hall, and dahyun visibly pales (who knew it was physically possible?). chaeyoung looks up. professor park stands two feet away from their row, with her hands on her hips, and if she hadn't been working with their professor on a daily basis chaeyoung thinks might have peed her pants. jihyo is terrifying in class, but is a whole softie when they hang out after court - and that's a luxury she wants to keep to herself. and tzuyu, of course. 

 

"now that we've established the actus reus, what was the mens rea?" jihyo asks, and chaeyoung purses her lips. watches as dahyun flips through her notes to find out exactly which case they were at, because it was a morning lecture, and chaeyoung kind of understands. tzuyu snickers from her right -

 

dahyun clears her throat. stands up to answer with ease, and chaeyoung smiles. slaps tzuyu's thigh. jihyo nods in approval, and carries on with the lesson - the rest of it is carried out in complete silence, because as much as they joke around in class, finals are coming up. rankings are important. and law students are competitive as hell - every lecture counts. school fees are expensive, and there's no way they were going to be missing out. 

 

besides, jihyo also doubles as eye candy - not that tzuyu should know, of course. 

 

 

/

 

 

it's a sunday morning. rain is falling. it's cold, but sunny, and momo doesn't want to get out of bed. because sana is fast asleep on her chest, and mina is buried somewhere underneath their sheets. but it's already noon, and she's hungry, and wants to stop her stomach from digesting itself. 

 

she sighs. they'd forgotten to draw the blinds again, and at this point momo is sure they're going to get a voyeurism-related complaint. also, mina is definitely going to be pissed about the wooden flooring cracking because of the sun. so she reaches for the pillow above her head, and throws it onto the floor in a half-hearted attempt to salvage it. 

 

it's quiet. it's peaceful. momo wants to enjoy this moment a little longer. breathes in the strawberry of sana's hair, and mina's unmistakable mint shampoo that always lingers on the pillows. she's all kinds of soft, and is reminded that this is something she could do forever. wants to do forever. will do forever. thinks about pancakes and honey. 

 

but then she feels a nibble just below her collarbone, and almost shoots up in surprise - sana is a sleepy, cheeky mess grinning up at her and maybe momo forgets her own name just for a bit. she reaches to smooth the other girl's hair, because sana always looks like goku in the morning - but sana always has other plans. her wrist is caught in a death grip, and brought to sana's lips. momo wants to laugh. 

 

"is this chivalry?" she ends up laughing. full out. crinkles her nose at sana pouting, because her girlfriend is adorable. there was an article in yesterday's new york times about how chivalry is 'dead', and sana had sworn up and down that it wouldn't be, as long as she was still alive. mina had rolled her eyes, and momo had asked her to prove it. and so sana had spent the entire night pulling out chairs and opening doors - it was endearing, but mostly hilarious. 

 

"stop laughing at me," sana whines. but momo laughs louder, and only stops when she feels a bite at her navel. sana is looking at her like she's a ten course meal, and momo gulps. suppresses the shiver of anticipation that runs all the way to her toes when sana starts kissing up her chest, neck, and tries not to moan when sana finally kisses her properly. on the lips. it takes about thirty seconds to make momo a squirmy, panting mess, and momo hates how she can already feel sana smirking triumphantly into her neck. 

 

she cards her fingers in sana's hair. pulls the other girl up for another kiss. momo thinks she can still taste the grapefruit soju they had last night. but there's something else. mostly sweet, and addictive. uniquely sana. makes momo feel like she can run a marathon. her head starts spinning like it always does when sana's tongue curls over hers just so. it's suddenly really, really hot and she kicks off the covers -

 

"ouch!" 

 

oops. her eyes snap open. momo pulls away guiltily, and is met with sana's frown - but they turn to the source of the noise: the lump in the covers. it starts to move. slowly, then all at once, when the cover is thrown back, and mina emerges, grumpy and glaring daggers.

 

"that hurt," she mumbles. rubs her head. then stares at momo for a second, before opening her arms wide and starts pouting like a baby. "give me a cuddle."

 

sana is the first to roll over into mina's embrace, because momo is soon distracted - the sun makes mina's skin glow, and wow. her heart is suddenly swelling into something too big for her ribcage. where sana is annoying and a brat, momo often forgets that mina is the real baby. someone she'd swore a long time ago to always coddle and protect. it's sort of an unspoken rule, between sana and her. to always put mina first, because mina is a smol and tiny and everything good in the world. 

 

then there are familiar fingers closing around her arm, and momo finds herself being dragged into a cuddle pile. sana attacks them both with kisses, and momo reminds herself to join in and kiss away the pain she'd caused mina. which, turns into an all out tickle war, and really, waking up to this every morning? this might be what heaven is like.

 

because every single time mina giggles into her shoulder, or whenever sana laughs that one laugh where her eyes crinkle, momo thinks that happiness is tangible - when they lace their fingers together. an intricate web of promises they hold dear to their hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @xylomyloo on twitter YES OR YES???

**Author's Note:**

> @xylomyloo on twitter boo boo


End file.
